Following endless speculations and multiple leaks, Suzuki has finally taken the covers off the new Swift. The mid-size hatchback has been entirely refreshed and brought up to date with a new platform, sleeker design, more equipment and better engines. Here’s all you need to know about this India-bound model.
All-new design
Unlike the generation change between the current model and the one before, the new Swift looks vividly different from what it will eventually replace. While it still retains its cockpit-like glasshouse, the new Swift carries plenty of modern-age design cues. Bits like the Audi-esque grille, diamond-cut style alloys and the prominent recesses around the fog lamps are all new. We would like to add that the car shown here is the JDM-spec Swift and that European and India-spec vehicles will have slightly different design elements.
Additional features
The cabin is not only all-new but it also houses a lot more equipment this time around. There’s a new instrument cluster with Baleno-like active graphics, paddle shifters for automatic variants, touchscreen audio system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, reverse camera, keyless entry and a few other essentials. In terms of safety equipment, the new Swift gets up to six airbags, ESP and ABS and even radar-based functions including autonomous braking, land departure warning and adaptive cruise control.
New platform
The JDM-spec Swift is based on Suzuki’s new Hearttect platform which has allowed for noticeable weight savings and improved rigidity. Suspension wise, it continues to use McPherson struts up front and a torsion beam at the rear.
Hybrid powertrain
The standard range can be had with either a 1-litre Boosterjet turbocharged three-cylinder engine or a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder motor. The former makes 100bhp/150 Nm whereas the NA motor develops 89bhp/118 Nm. Besides these, the new Swift can also be had as a hybrid. Suzuki, in fact, has paired the 1.2-litre motor with a DC electric motor that’s linked to a lithium-ion battery pack. Under normal driving conditions, this hybrid drivetrain assists the petrol motor when accelerating and braking.
Available in six variants
In Japan, the new Swift is available in up to six variants – XL, XG, RSt, Hybrid RS, RS and Hybrid ML. The Euro-spec model, meanwhile, will make its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show. Expect Maruti Suzuki to bring this new, much improved model to India by the second half of 2017.